“Back in the days the great emcees made singles, had great shows, won battles, had all the girls and dressed fly. That¹s what I'm about...the total package emcees.” MadeShowsGirlBattlePackagesSinglesEmcee Author:Joell Ortiz
“What inspired me as a child is the same thing that inspires me now: being nice. I always try to one up everybody with verses and be lyrical and just stand for the art.” TryingChildrenArtNiceInspireInspiredVersesBeing NiceLyrical Author:Joell Ortiz
“I don't hate any sort of music but I just think that the lyricism needs to be in the forefront.” ThinkingNeedsHateDon't Hate Author:Joell Ortiz
“I've always been able to write rhymes and that would be like when you consult with your girl. When I'm mad and s - t like that I would throw headphones on and close my room door, when I'm mad I just close the door with my girl and f - k her. In so many different ways hip-hop has been like my girl and it's always been there to hold me down.” WayWritingHas BeensDifferentWould BeAbleGirlRoomsDoorsMadHip HopHipsDifferent WaysHopsRhymeHold MeMy GirlHeadphones Author:Joell Ortiz
“You can have a phenomenal booth artist and he can get in there and be a technician in the booth and it won't translate on the stage. I think that's what makes emcees emcees. Some rapper dudes are great rappers but it don't translate on stage.” ThinkingArtistStageRapperTranslatePhenomenalTechniciansEmcee Author:Joell Ortiz
“If you can perfect the booth, the stage and just your persona, like maybe in interviews and when people talk to you, then you're a full well-rounded emcee in my opinion.” PeopleIfsWellsPerfectOpinionStageInterviewsPersonaWell RoundedEmcee Author:Joell Ortiz
“I'm really, really, really, really conservative with money. I got to give myself a lot of excuses to spend money, because I come from nothin'.” GivingConservativeExcuse Author:Joell Ortiz
“Hip-hop definitely saved my life. Being able to write about the things I was doing, the things I was seein' and all that stuff, putting that on paper and coming into my own as Joell Ortiz. That's why I don't have a stage name, because I chose to talk about everything under the sun that happened to me or next to me in my music.” WritingAbleNextNamesStuffMy OwnSunHappenedStagePaperHip HopSavedHipsHops Author:Joell Ortiz
“You owe dough? You ain't give up that cheese? Hey... Sooner or later, you'll Pay, Pal (no eBay).” GivingPayGiving UpHip HopRapHeySooner Or LaterCheesePalsDoughEbay Author:Joell Ortiz
“I wake up hip-hop, Go to sleep hip-hop, Dream 'bout hip-hop, 'Cause I AM HIP-HOP.” DreamCausesSleepWake UpHip HopHipsHopsGoing To Sleep Author:Joell Ortiz
